MARNE -- Fans at Berlin Raceway's Monsters of Rock Show were treated to everything from a local female driver to a Hollywood movie star's first time behind the wheel.

Actor C. Thomas Howell was at the half-mile track Thursday to film an upcoming segment of his new CMT show "All Jacked Up," which will feature him taking part in crazy activities such as driving a monster truck, racing an ostrich and riding in a jet-powered outhouse.

"My father's a stuntman, my sister does stunts, I've got a stunt background, but I'm an actor. I'm sort of the weakling during Thanksgiving," said Howell, known for his roles in the movies "Red Dawn" and "The Outsiders."

"Everybody's like, 'Would the wimp pass the potatoes?' "

He jumped into a monster truck for the first time and drove over five cars during the show.

"I have no experience with the monster truck world -- I've never even sat in a race car before," said Howell, who also is in the television series "Southland."

"I had no idea what to expect. There are so many gadgets, pedals and switches in those things, it's like manning the space shuttle.

"These guys are half genius and half crazy. Of course I was nervous, I mean, hanging out with all these professionals, the last thing they want to do is mess around with a greenhorn like me. But they were all patient and very cool."

Coopersville's Jocelyn Perrin showed Howell the ropes before the show.

"We started at 11 a.m. training him in the truck," said Perrin, who, with her husband, Jeff (Perrin Motorsports), helped put together the event. "He got to learn about the movement of the truck, and we went over all the safety.

"He did well. He went real slow and we throttled down; he didn't have full throttle."

Perrin, who drives High Maintenance, put on a show of her own in her $100,000 vehicle.

"It's a huge adrenaline rush," said Perrin, whose 11-year-old daughter wants to follow in her footsteps. "But I tell you what, it's the people in the stands that give it to you. When I see these fans getting into it, it means I'm doing a good job and I better keep doing a good job.

"I got started here at the Berlin Fair. I came as a fan 19 years ago to watch the monster truck show and fell in love with it. I got all the drivers' autographs, and one happened to be a single gentleman. I went to another event and, about a month later, I married him."

The show honored late driver Jesse Birgy, who died May 18, 2008, after a heart attack at 49. He competed in monster trucks for 23 years, and his friends are making sure he is not forgotten.

Proceeds will be donated to the college fund of Birgy's only child, Ashley Birgy.

"This one's real special for us because we wanted to do something for Jesse's family," Perrin said.